Australia to get Real

Australia had its equivalent of Jersey Shore with The Shire, now we are set to get our very own "Real Housewives" following Foxtel's announcement on Thursday that they would commission a local version of the reality soap opera.

The Real Housewives of Australia will air in 2013 on Arena as 10, one-hour "docu-dramas", which Foxtel's release promises will be "a revealing insight into the real world of Australia's Real Housewives".

"The show will take viewers on a wild ride into the extravagant lives of five of Australia's most privileged, powerful and glamorous women. The series will introduce us to an elite group of women and reveal intimate and often outrageous details about their relationships, career triumphs, pitfalls and family drama."

Foxtel Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh said in the statement that "The Real Housewives of Australia will tap into the qualities and idiosyncrasies that are uniquely Australian whilst embracing all the drama, antics and extravagance we have come to love when observing these pampered wives of the uber riche."

Matchbox Pictures, the production company behind Real Housewives of Australia, will start casting across the country in the coming weeks.